Today I volunteered at IMWI as part of the SAG crew covering Verona to Mt. Horeb. It was a really fun experiance, and if I wasn’t going to be racing in IMWI next year, I would definetly volunteer again. It felt pretty good to lend a hand to fellow triathletes in need. As the title indicates, I learned a couple of things that will come in handy next year.
First, there were only designated 4 tech support vehicles (these are seperate from SAG) out there today. That’s 4 people for 112 miles and 2400 athletes, which means you better know how to handle the simple stuff. Unfortunetly, I happened upon at least one person who didn’t know how to change his own tire, but luckily we were able to get him back in the saddle after a short delay.
Second, make sure to carry what you need to fix your bike with you. This includes simple things like allen wrenches, tubes and CO2. I heard calls over the radio for riders needing allen wrenches and tubes. The tech support guys are pretty well outfitted, but they don’t give the SAG teams any parts or tools. I brought my own tools, floor pump, and luckily grabbed my spare tube, which I donated to some athlete. I used the floor pump to help out all of the athletes I stopped to help, it was a real life saver.
Finally, even if you have all the tools/parts you need, and know how to fix stuff, take your time doing it. I came upon two riders that had both gone thru 2 tubes trying to fix a flat because they were in a hurry. This is probably the one thing I hope to remember next year should I find myself with a flat. The extra minute I take fixing the flat by going slower, will be a lot less then the time I would waste waiting for a spare tube to magically show up.
Kudos to Dan Atkins at Atkins Bike Shop in Verona - when he heard that I was doing it, he gave me piles of tubes, CO2’s, and a couple valve extenders and told me to just return what i did not give out.
That has got to be very rewarding work. Thanks for volunteering.
My two tire changes in a race have been very deliberate because I want to spend
the time to make sure I didn’t have a tube pinched and that i found the problem
that caused it. I don’t worry about that time as much as the potential of DNF.
I was out at Whalen Road (first / last ) Aid station all day today, total of 9 hour volunteer shift. It was quite the long day but also quite the experience. I saw a few athletes as you mentioned that required some assistance to get back on the road, which thew me off at first since I was always told Triathlon is an ‘individual test’ where you are unable to receive outside assistance. That being said, it is Ironman, after a small fortune and such a large time investment it would be horrific to not finish over something as unfortunate as an equipment issue.
Between my shift and watching the finish I am completely pysched for next year. Heading to sign up tomorrow morning bright and early.
Did you get a wrist band for volunteering? The SAG captain didn’t have any to give out, and all he could tell me was to bring my T-Shirt to the sign up tomorrow.
I saw a few athletes as you mentioned that required some assistance to get back on the road, which thew me off at first since I was always told Triathlon is an ‘individual test’ where you are unable to receive outside assistance.
For along time it’s been accepted that there is some form of neutral tech support in big IM races to cover minor tech problems that you may encounter on the bike during the race. It’s not considered “outside assistance”. The problem is, as the OP outlined - the tech support that is at big IM races is limited. So you should be prepared to fix minor things on your own - most usually flat tires. You can head off most other problems, by having your bike in top working condition for the race and knowing how to use it properly in the first place. Example: At the Muskoka 70.3 race on the weekend, there was in inordinate amount of chains broken. A chain break is one of those catastophic events that can end your day. Unless you have a chain tool, you’ll have to wait for the tech support to help you out. How to prevent chain breaks:
Make sure you replace your chain regularly
Know how to shift properly ie. not under extreme loads going up steep heels( as was likley the case with a few of the chain breaks at Muskoka)
Thanks for volunteering. You weren’t in that gray Ford pick up were you?
Second, make sure to carry what you need to fix your bike with you. This includes simple things like allen wrenches, tubes and CO2. I heard calls over the radio for riders needing allen wrenches and tubes. The tech support guys are pretty well outfitted, but they don’t give the SAG teams any parts or tools. I brought my own tools, floor pump, and luckily grabbed my spare tube, which I donated to some athlete. I used the floor pump to help out all of the athletes I stopped to help, it was a real life saver.
I saw more crap scattered on the road, including tools, tubes and CO2 carts. People may have started out with the right stuff…
Also amazed at the amount of drafting, outside assistance and general lack of bike handling skill. But hey, what do I know?
I saw a few athletes as you mentioned that required some assistance to get back on the road, which thew me off at first since I was always told Triathlon is an ‘individual test’ where you are unable to receive outside assistance.
For along time it’s been accepted that there is some form of neutral tech support in big IM races to cover minor tech problems that you may encounter on the bike during the race. It’s not considered “outside assistance”. The problem is, as the OP outlined - the tech support that is at big IM races is limited. So you should be prepared to fix minor things on your own - most usually flat tires. You can head off most other problems, by having your bike in top working condition for the race and knowing how to use it properly in the first place. Example: At the Muskoka 70.3 race on the weekend, there was in inordinate amount of chains broken. A chain break is one of those catastophic events that can end your day. Unless you have a chain tool, you’ll have to wait for the tech support to help you out. How to prevent chain breaks:
Make sure you replace your chain regularly
Know how to shift properly ie. not under extreme loads going up steep heels( as was likley the case with a few of the chain breaks at Muskoka)
Hope this helps.
I’ll add that I think it’s possible to carry what you need to fix a broken chain without adding a whole lot of extra weight. I carry a small multitool, the smallest one I could find that had a chain breaker. Also, I have a tiny plastic bag taped up under the nose of my saddle, which contains a Wippeman Connex link, two spare pins, and two links of chain (i.e. four sections), along with a small silica gel dessicant to keep it all from getting rusty. I know it sounds like a lot, but it really doesn’t add more than a few ounces. Basic plan in case of broken chain is to drive out the pin(s) from the break, reattach with the Connex link, and continue with a slightly shortened chain. Other parts are in case I somehow booger up a larger section of chain, or damage it in more than one place.
One thing that will be absent from my repair kit in the future will be Pit Stop. Had my first flat during a race yesterday, and despite the small puncture (probably from a patch of glass, as I saw 4-5 others with flats in that same mile), did not form a proper seal. That makes 0-2 (other time was on a training ride). Would have been underway quicker if I’d just gone straight to the spare tube.